Folding ball game board



lAug. 285 1951 R. ARMSTRONG A 2,565,584

FOLDING BALL GAME BOARD Filed Nov, 5, 1946 :s sheets-sheet 1 ze Av-7 /la L4M-w 442 74? WP wf W, :4' C/' '8 9 lo .4 lo?! 1%1 as z3 I4 18\ 27 la, LI5 n 255 @d/l 25 le 4 '7 INVENTOR.

Pay/lf/WJ/ra//y ATTRNEYS Aug. 28, 1951 R. ARMSTRONG 2,565,584

FOLDING BALL GAME BOARD Filed Nov. 5, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTCI RN EYB Aug. 28, 1951 L Rf ARMSTRONG 2,565,584

FOLDING BALL GAME BOARD y Filed Nov. 5, 1946 5 sheets-sheet s INVEN TOR. n Ajay/1 277761022? ATTE] RN EYB Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING BALL GAME BOARD Ray Armstrong, McKeesport, Pa.

Application November 5, 1946, Serial No. 707,869

3 Claims.

My present invention relates generally to improvements in amusement devices employing a game board, with game-pieces or balls, and playing-balls or game pieces, and more specically to an improvedI foldable ball-game board simulating a bowling alley, for use in a game of skill of the bowling type.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a novel game board made up of hinged Yor exibly jointed sections which are foldable in order that the board, when not n use, may with facility be compactly folded for storage or shipping purposes, and which, with equal convenience may vbe unfolded and spread in playing position to provide a smooth, durable, and substantial playing surface for the game.

In carrying out my invention the equipment for the game includes a number of balls or game-pieces that are set in a group of pockets in the game board, together with a predetermined number of playing-balls or game pieces for use by the player or players; the object of the game being the displacement of the game pieces from their pockets. This object is accomplished by the player who pitches, tosses, rolls, or .shoots with a snap-action of the thumb, the playing-pieces or balls, at the set gamepieces; and in a two-hand game as here illustrated, lthe player who rst displaces the balls in his own alley wins the game with a score corresponding to the number of balls or game-pieces remaining inthe other alley.

While the .game may be played by a single person in a single alley, it is of course more interesting when two players match their skills in a double-alley game, and in some instances the number of alleys may be further increased to accommodate additional players.

The inventionconsists in cer-tain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be described, and more specifically set forth in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined `and arranged in accord with one mode I have devised for the practical application o'f the principles of my invention. It will, however, be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made in these exemplifying drawings and mechanical structures, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the game board, partly broken away for convenience of illustration, showing the backstop in flattened position and inoperative.

Figure 2 is a similar view at the head of the game-board showing the backstop erected in upright position and operative.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View Vof the game board, foreshortened for convenience of illustration, and showing especially the ilexible, hinged, joints between the attened sections and panels.

Figure 4 is an enlarged Adetail sectional view as at line 4 4 of Fig. 1 with some ofthe gamepieces or balls seated in their pockets.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View at line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing the backstop.

Figure 6 is an edge view of the folded gameboard, and indicating by dotted lines a container or packing box for the compactly folded board.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional View at line 1 -l of Fig. 1.

In playing the game provision is Amade. vfor twelve game pieces or balls, indicated in Fig. 4 -at-G, foreach alley of this double alley board, and each ofthe two players isprovided with a predetermined number of playing-pieces or balls, which may be three inl number. The `balls may be fashioned of glass, or `other suitable material in various sizes, and colors; and preferably the playing-pieces for each player will beidentifled by a distinctive color and made of Vconvenient size and weight for skillful manipulation.

In `the double-alley game board vshown in the drawings I have illustrated four rectangular sections l, 2, 3, and 2l, made up of substantialcardboard or other suitable material, and these sections are flexibly united at adjoining edges by transversely -arranged hinges 5 made up of tough and durable cloth or other flexible material and these strip-hinges are cemented, glued, or'otherwise fastened on the undersides of vthe adjoin- "ing sections.

The two pairs of sections l, 2., and 3, vv4, are laterally spaced to form a return runway 6 which is-equal in length to that of the two alleys.

In order to provide for a gravity-return-of the balls through the runway 6, the undersides-of the two sections I and 3, at the head of the board, are provided with elevating strips, or pads 1, 1, that elevate, slightly, the head end of the board.

A flexible strip 8 is arranged across the foot of the runway, and the hinge 22 maintains the' alleys in laterally spaced relation, and the strip 3 8 forms a stop for the balls returning through the runway. The strip 8 may be provided with counters or rotary disks 9 for keeping the score, and is preferably provided with snap fasteners II), I0, that may be detached for convenience in folding the hinged sections.

The two head-sections I and 3 are each pro vided with a triangular series of twelve pockets indicated as I I, each consisting of a circular hole approximating the diameter of the gaine-piece or ball G, in the board-section as 3, and as best seen in Fig. 4, each section is provided with a perforated backing-strip or sheet I2, of suitable material, and fashioned with smaller circular holes I3, that form seats for the balls G. The concentrically arranged holes II-I3 thus forni pockets for the balls G, and the balls rest in their seats, free of the surrounding circular walls of the holes II. This concentric arrangement of the large and small holes provides a self-centering seat for setting the ball in place in its pocket, and as thus supported, the ball G, when struck by a playing bail, is projected from the pocket by a tripping Contact with the Wall of the large hole II, resulting in a trajectory proportioned to the force of Contact from the playing ball. This tripping movement results in a spinning displacement of the game-ball G, and the displaced ball may spin in its trajectory on a horizontal axis, or if struck a glancing blow by the playingn ball the game-ball may spin on an angular axis resulting in a curved trajectory.

On impact of the pitched playing-ball against the game-ball G, the playing-ball rebounds slightly to clear the game-ball and to return to the player by way of the central trough or runway 6, and the game-ball G is thus free to leap from its pocket without disturbing the remaining game-balls, Under skillful shooting or pitching of the playing ball, the game-ball G may be struck with a glancing impact, and combination shots against two or more balls, G, may be made; and shots similar to billiard-shots may be made for displacing a number of the balls G by a single shot.

The displaced game balls may strike a backstop provided at the head of the game board, and they are guided in their movements, transversely of the board, toward the central runway 6 and returned to the front end or playing end of the game board.

The backstop for the two alleys consists of two main panels I4 and I5, and two side wings IB and I'I, and as best seen in Figs. 1 and 5, transversely arranged beads I3 and I9, are mounted on the sections I and 3 of the board to guide the displaced balls toward the central runway 5.

The panels of the backstop are flexibly united or hinged at adjoining edges, and. the main panels I4 and I5 are hinged at 2i and 20 respectively to the board-sections I and 3. The two panels I4 and I5 are hinged together at 22 with a double-hinge; and the main section I4 is hinged to its wing I at 23, while the other main panel I5 is hinged to its wing I'I at 24.

In playing position the two main panels I4 and I5 stand upright and extend transversely across their respective alleys, while the two wings I5 and I'I also stand upright, but are disposed at right angles to the panels I4 and I5, and parallel with the outer or lateral edges of the sections I and 3 of the game board, to provide an enclosure for the sets of game-pieces, as indicated in Fig. 2.

For packing and storing purposes the wings of the backstop may be folded upon the main panels, the board sections 2 and 4 may be folded upon the sections I and 3, and then these folded parts may be folded along the line of the central trough or runway G. In addition to the snapfasteners IS, I Q, other detachable fasteners as 25, 2%, and 2l, are aflixed to the oldable parts in order that they may be fastened together in folded positions, as in Fig. 6, where an enclosure, container, or packing box, is indicated by the reference number 28, in dotted lines.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. in a foldable game board, the combination with pairs of sections having flexible hinges at adjoining edges and forming two alleys, the pairs of sections being laterally spaced to provide betveen the pairs oi sections a return bail-runway, of a foldable backstop comprising flexibly jointed fllanels having flexible joints with the two alleys, and means for supporting game-pieces on two of said sections.

2. In a ioldable, two-alley game-board for a bali-game, the combination with pairs of sections having flexible joints, the pairs of sections being laterally spaced to provide between the pairs of sections a central return ball-runway, transversely extending beads on adjoining sections forming gutters leading to said runway, and a pair of sections having sets of pockets therein for game-balls, of a foldable backstop including i'ieXibly jointed panels, and flexibly jointed conn nections between the backstop and said sections having pockets.

3. In afoldable, two-alley game-board for a ball-game, the combination with pairs of sections having flexible joints, the pairs of sections being laterally spaced to provide between the pairs of sections a central return ball-runway, two of said adjoining sections having pockets for gameballs, and transversely extending beads on the pocket-sections forming gutters leading to said runway, and elevating pads mounted on the pocket-sections, of a foldable backstop including a transversely arranged pair of flexibly united panels having flexible joints to the pocket-sections, and a pair of oppositely arranged wings each having a flexible joint With a panel.

RAY ARMSTRONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 425,249 Poggenburg Apr. 8, 1890 1,282,418 Haskell Oct` 22, 1918 1,360,661 Malone Nov. 30, 1920 1,427,482 Krauth Aug. 29, 1922 1,713,247 Young May 14, 1929 1,748,030 Wetzell Feb. 18, 1930 2,062,166 Delwiche Nov. 24, 1936 

